How to Make a Lightweight Booth for a Play

Recreate a ticket booth on stage with a lightweight box.

Putting together plays requires a lot of preparation time when it comes to the set. Different scenes often require different pieces of scenery and props. Making the set pieces and coordinating the transport of them will need to be planned well in advance. These pieces need to be lightweight so stage hands can quickly move them in and out in between scenes. A booth can be used on stage for several elements during a play. It can be a phone booth, a kissing booth, a carnival booth or a ticket booth. Create a booth out of a cardboard box so it is lightweight and can be carried by one or two people.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard refrigerator box
• Sketch pad
• Pencil
• Yard stick
• Box cutter
• Scissors
• Primer spray paint (optional)
• Spray paint
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes

Instructions

1. Go to a department or home improvement store that sells refrigerators. Ask the manager for an empty refrigerator box. If they have several, ask for two in case you make a mistake.

2. Set the box up on its end. Look at the box and sketch out the design you will need for your booth. If it is a phone booth, you will need a door in the front that is facing the audience. If it is a booth that a person will sit behind, you will need a cutout window in the front and a door for them to go inside in the back.

3. Measure out your openings with a yard stick after you have decided on your design. Trace the cut lines with a pencil.

4. Slice the sections of cardboard with a box cutter. Use the scissors to cut exact angles or details.

5. Spray paint your booth a base color. Most appliance boxes will have writing on the side of it so you may have to use a primer spray paint if the base color of your booth is a light hue. Let the booth dry for an hour.

6. Use acrylic paint to paint any lettering, accents or detail on the booth. Let the paint dry for an hour. Practice bringing the booth on and off the stage.

Tips & Warnings

• Use light, sweeping motions when spraying the spray paint. This will help to avoid over-saturating the cardboard with paint.

• Use caution when using a box cutter.

• Spray the booth in a well-ventilated area or outside so you do not breathe in the paint fumes.